When you look at yourself up close and personal, what do you see?

"Great impressions can be made from a distance, but reality can only be tested up close." Howard G. Hendricks

Up close and personal, thats where we feel the most vulnerable in both our business and personal relationships. We think that from a distance we can keep up the impression or the illusion of who we want people to think we are. Up close, is where it becomes very intense to maintain the artificial reality of what we want people to believe about us.

For most, the testing up close means we eventually have to let people in and give them a chance to see the real us. This means letting them behind our protective curtains which is very scary if we are trying to be someone we are really not.

The older I get, it becomes easier to make the real impression up close first, realizing it becomes so much clearer to everyone from a distance. To let the real you be seen here are four things that will make it easier for you.

1. Establish and maintain a peace with your self about who your really are.
2. Don’t expect people to think you are perfect, your not and they already know it
3. Don’t expect everyone to be like you, because they won't.
4. Be an encourager not a discourager up close and from a distance.

If you can put these four thoughts in your mind and internalize them, the impression you will make up close and from a distance will be changed forever.

Go for Greatness Today!

Bouncing Back from the Bottom

"I don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom"  General George S. Patton.

Bouncing back is not something we tend to measure in American Business. Too often we simply look at achievements and resumes without any knowledge of "bounce back". This is hard to measure and yet vitally important when trying to surround yourself with people who will not let you down when the storm clouds of business roll into to your life.

If a person is being honest they have hit bottom at least one time in their life. Rarely does a person go through life without failure.

The key is how they bounce back.  There are several examples, some lay flat at the bottom, others quickly get up but are gun shy to try again, others process and learn from their failure or the situations.

As you push your own square rocks up very steep hills, be aware that as you add people to help your persue your dream what is their "bounce back" experience.  If they do not have it, they may earn it under your leadership, and that could be a painful experience for both of you.   Rock Pushers have no patience for those who will not get back up from failure.

God revealing Himself through quiet focused reflection

This morning at the barn it begin to rain, there was a slight wind at first.  On the horizon I began to  look at many large trees as the storm grew stronger. At a scan of the horizon the tress appeared not to be  moving with the storm's wind.  However, when concentrating on a single tree in the distance I saw movement. It started ever so slightly and as I watched the single tree seemed to move more.  

Taking my eyes away from the single tree to the horizon of many trees, the movement appeared to stop. 

So it is with Faith and our all mighty God.  We look to the horizon of the future and cannot see God appearing to doing anything.   It is easy to see God's hand up close just as it is easy to see movement in the trees in the forefront of of vision. 

My problem I want to see the future through the eyes of the horizon. The view of the horizon always gives us more chances to see God at work . It gives us more opportunities to choose where we want to go, not necessarily where God wants to lead us.  

Maybe God is wanting me to stop and focus on a single tree and I will readily see my God is alive and active in my life handcrafting a single event in my life in the future. I need to narrow my faith focus to that one small tree in the horizon.  Then be prepared to follow God in that one direction of  a single tree moving ever so slight through the power his wind.  

Thanks be to God

Do not allow the Bullies of Life to keep you from Greatness!

"When a resolute young fellow steps up to the great bully, the world, and takes him boldly by the beard, he is often surprised to find it comes off in his hand, and that it was only tied on to scare away the timid adventurers." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Today it seems more than ever we are surrounded by bullies. The thought of engaging bullies causes many of us to live a timid life of fear. We make safe choices so as never to come close to the bullies that seem to hover around the opportunities of greatness we are in pursuit of.

Only when we decide to confront those bullies and grab their beard and yank it off do we find that fear has needlessly cost us valuable time in our pursuit of opportunities. When we allow Bullies to keep us from our pursuits we find ourselves mired in the mediocrity of a life of "what ifs".

For the determined, bullies are simply roadblocks keeping you from the realization of your dreams. Do not be timid today, but rather understand that it will be necessary to grab the beards of those blocking your path to greatness. With one committed yank of their beard you will expose them for what they are and allow yourself to move one step close to your goals and dreams. How you engage the bullies placed in your path defines who you are.